Decorative plate for an upper rail and a lower rail of window shades

ABSTRACT

A decorative plate for an upper rail and a lower rail of window shades includes an upper decorative plate which has a fastening portion on one side facing the upper rail to be coupled on the front side of the upper rail and a lower decorative plate which covers the lower rail. When a window shade equipped with movable lump sets is to be installed, the upper decorative plate can be mounted onto the front side of the upper rail through the fastening portion, and the lower rail can be covered by the lower decorative plate so that coupling gaps of the movable lump sets on two ends of the upper and lower rails are masked. The front side of the upper and lower rails looks neat and smooth to provide a desired visual effect. The window shade thus formed is more appealing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a decorative plate for an upper rail and a lower rail of window shades and particularly to a decorative plate installed on the front side of the upper rail and the lower rail of a window shade to provide mask and decorative effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The window shades now on the market have a substantial portion requiring users to do installation after purchase. Due to the specification of the procured window shade could be different from the width of the door or window, users have to trim the width of the shade during installation to match the width of the door or window. But the upper rail and the lower rail are difficult to cut to a desired length by the users, hence some producers have developed a “Movable lump set for window shades” to allow the users to change the length of the upper and lower rails during installation to match the width of the door or window.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional movable lump set 14 for a window shade 10. The window shade 10 includes an upper rail 11 and a lower rail 12 that are spaced from each other and a shade 13 that is retractable and extendable and located between the upper rail 11 and the lower rail 12. The movable lump set 14 is located on each of two ends of the upper and lower rails 11 and 12. The movable lump set 14 consists of a plurality of lumps 141 that may be coupled together or separated and removed. Therefore, referring to FIG. 3, during installation of the window shade 10, a selected number of the lumps 141 may be removed to alter the length of the lump set 14 on two ends of the upper and lower rails 11 and 12. With the cut and mating shade 13, the total length of the upper and lower rails 11 and 12 (including the movable lump set 14) can match the width of the door or window. Thus installation of the window shade 10 is more convenient.

While the window shade 10 equipped with the movable lump set 14 makes installation of the window shade 10 easier, the lumps 141 form gaps among them after coupling. This spoils the total appealing of the upper and lower rails 11 and 12. The decorative effect of the window shade 10 also suffers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore the present invention aims to provide a decorative plate for the upper rail and the lower rail of window shades which adopt the movable lump set. The invention can mask the gaps of the coupling lumps. Therefore the resulting window shade can provide a more appealing decorative effect.

To achieve the foregoing object, the decorative plate for the upper rail and the lower rail of window shades of the invention includes an upper decorative plate installed on a front side of the upper rail. The upper decorative plate has a fastening portion on one side facing the upper rail. A lower decorative plate is provided for the lower rail that can cover the lower rail.

By means of such a structure, the following effect can be achieved: After users have assembled the window shade equipped with the movable lump sets, they can install the upper decorative plate on the front side of the upper rail through the fastening portion and couple the lower decorative plate on the lower rail to mask the gaps of the movable lumps on two ends of the upper and lower rails. Thereby the front sides of the upper and lower rails look neat and smooth and provide a more appealing visual effect. Thus it can achieve an improved decorative result.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional window shade with movable lump sets.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a conventional window shade with a movable lump set.

FIG. 3 is another fragmentary sectional view of a conventional window shade with a movable lump set.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the decorative plate of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the decorative plate of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the decorative plate of the present invention in use on a window shade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The decorative plate for the upper rail and the lower rail of window shades of the invention may be implemented according to two embodiments discussed below.

FIG. 4 shows one of the embodiments in which an upper decorative plate 30 is mounted onto a front side of an upper rail 21 (including movable lump sets 23 on two ends) to accomplish mask and decoration purpose. The upper decorative plate 30 has a fastening portion 31 on one side facing the upper rail 21 to facilitate installation and removing on the front side of the upper rail 21. The fastening portion 31 is a commonly used fastening means such as a coupling means, latching means, screwing means or the like. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the fastening portion 31 is a latch strip 311 extended from one end of the upper decorative plate 30 to another end. The upper rail 21 has an anchor trough 211 on one side facing the upper decorative plate 30 corresponding to the latch strip 311. Another approach is to form the anchor trough (not shown in the drawing) for the fastening portion 31 on the upper decorative plate 30 from one end to another end, while the upper rail 21 has a latch strip (not shown in the drawing) on one side facing the upper decorative plate 30 corresponding to the anchor trough.

Refer to FIG. 5 for an embodiment of a lower decorative plate 40 adopted for use on a lower rail 22. The lower decorative plate 40 covers the lower rail 22 (including the movable lump sets 23 on two ends). The lower decorative plate 40 has two sides bending upwards to form two opposing bending portions 41 that are spaced from each other to form a holding space 42 between them to hold the lower rail 22.

When the upper and lower decorative plates 30 and 40 are in use during installation of a window shade 20, referring to FIG. 6, the movable lump sets 23 may be adjusted as desired to make the entire length of the upper and lower rails 21 and 22 (including the movable lump sets 23) to match the width of a door or window to be installed; next, couple the fastening portion 31 of the upper decorative plate 30 on the front side of the upper rail 21; then slide the holding space 42 of the lower decorative plate 40 over the lower rail 22. Thus the decorative plates 30 and 40 cover the coupling gaps of the movable lump sets 23 on two ends of the upper and lower rails 21 and 22 when looking from the front side. The appearance of the window shade 20 is more attractive.

In short, the decorative plates 30 and 40 of the invention can mask the coupling gaps of the movable lump sets 23 on two ends of the upper and lower rails 21 and 22 to provide a neat and smooth visual effect. Thereby the movable lump sets 23 do not spoil the appealing of the upper and lower rails 21 and 22. As a result, the entire window shade can provide an improved decorative effect. 

1. A decorative plate for an upper rail and a lower rail of a window shade comprising an upper decorative plate which is installed on a front side of the upper rail and has a fastening portion on one side facing the upper rail.
 2. The decorative plate of claim 1, wherein the fastening portion is a latch strip extended from one end of the upper decorative plate to another end thereof.
 3. The decorative plate of claim 1, wherein the fastening portion is an anchor trough extended from one end of the upper decorative plate to another end thereof.
 4. A decorative plate for an upper rail and a lower rail of a window shade comprising a lower decorative plate which covers the lower rail.
 5. The decorative plate of claim 4, wherein the lower decorative plate has two sides extended upwards to form two opposing bending portions that are spaced from each other to form a holding space between them to hold the lower rail. 